What is the movie Bessie about?

Bessie is an HBO TV film about the American blues singer Bessie Smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into "The Empress of the Blues". The film is directed by Dee Rees, with a screenplay by Rees, Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois.

Considering this, where was Bessie filmed?

HBO Films' "Bessie," shot almost entirely in Georgia, pumped more than $16 million into the state's economy, HBO announced April 30. The production employed nearly 1,700 local cast and crew and filmed in 27 locations, including in Covington, Conyers, Marietta, Woodstock and Duluth, Ga.

Likewise, when did Jack Gee die? 1973

Also to know, did Bessie Smith get stabbed?

The Empress of the Blues was also known for her rather colorful personality and lifestyle. She once survived a stabbing after a performance in her hometown of Chattanooga, chasing after her attacker with the knife still in her chest, then getting herself to the hospital and still not missing the next night's show.

What happened to Bessie Smith mother?

Bessie Smith was born into poverty in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of seven children of William and Laura Smith. Her father was a Baptist minister and a laborer. Her father died soon after her birth and her mother and two of her brothers died by the time she was eight or nine.

32 Related Question Answers Found

Why are cows named Bessie?

The original name was Bossie, Latin Bos is the domesticated cow. On the farm we would say “sooo boss” to soothe the cows before milking so they would relax their udder. Specifically the name Bossie was always reserved for the boss cow. All she had to do was shake her horns and the rest of the herd would fall in line.

What is Bessie short for?

Bessie is a feminine given name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Elizabeth, Beatrice and other names since the 16th century. It is sometimes a name in its own right.

When did the movie Bessie come out?

The film premiered on May 16, 2015. By the following year Bessie stood as the most watched HBO original film of all time. The film was well received critically and garnered four Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Television Movie.

Who was Bessie Smith married to?

Jack Gee

m. 1923–1937

How did Bessie Smith change the world?

Along with Ma Rainey and Mamie Smith, singer Bessie Smith helped pioneer the genre of blues music and propel it into popular culture. Her early death at the age of 43 cut short a career that influenced the direction of American music and contributed to the success of African Americans in the performing arts.

Who did Bessie Smith perform with?

Who was Bessie Smith? Bessie Smith was one of the greatest blues vocalists ever. She made 160 recordings in all, in many of which she was accompanied by some of the great jazz musicians of the 1920s and '30s, including Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong.

Where did Bessie live?

New Jersey

Chattanooga

Why is Bessie Smith important?

Crowned as Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith earned the honor as the greatest classic blues singer of the 1920's. In pursuit of a better life, Bessie left Chattanooga in 1912 to join a traveling minstrel and vaudeville show as a dancer and singer with Pa and Ma Rainey.

Where was Bessie born?

Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States

Who were Bessie Smith parents?

William Smith

Father

Laura Smith

Mother

When and where was Bessie Smith born?

April 15, 1894

What was Bessie Smith occupation?

Actor

Singer

How did Bessie die?

Traffic collision

How old is Bessie Smith?

43 years (1894–1937)

Who did Bessie Smith influence?

When gospel great Mahalia Jackson was a child, she learned to sing by listening to Smith's records, and as a teenager she sang Smith's 1925 hit "St. Louis Blues" at church socials. Once Jackson began recording in the 1940s, her voice was compared to Smith's, even though she only sang sacred music.

Who is Bessie Smith son?

Jack Gee Jr

When was Bessie Smith famous?

Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer. Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s.